Start An Interior Decorating Business - Business Ideas

Updated: September 16th, 2022
Start An Interior Decorating Business

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

Interior design is one of the most exciting and rewarding fields to enter. Interior designers help clients create functional, beautiful spaces that reflect their personalities.

The demand for Interior decor is booming and showing no signs of slowing soon. If you love enhancing the look of interior spaces, starting an interior décor business can be a great business idea.

To start an interior décor business, you must possess a working knowledge of space planning, textiles, color schemes, and more. You will work with architects, engineers, and builders to plan the look and function of indoor spaces.

Starting an interior decorating business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell interior decorating service, or selling interior decorating service online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$18.8B
starting costs
$10.9K
gross margin
65%
time to build
210 days
growth
Organic social media
business model
Consulting
time investment
Side project

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Office Space Expenses

$0

$7,000

Equipment & Supply Expenses

$66

$700

Inventory Expenses

$50

$9,750

Software Expenses

$12

$575

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$0

$3,000

Website Costs

$13

$215

Specific Industry Expenses

$0

$500

Total Startup Costs

$141

$21,740

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

Luxury Design

luxurydesignbusinessjournal.com

321,921

INTERIORZINE

interiorzine.com

375,909

Design Arc Interiors

designarcinteriors.com

422,468

Capella Kincheloe

capellakincheloe.com

488,800

Interior Marketing Group

imgnyc.com

790,031

Corporate Interiors

corporate-interiors.com

2,478,924

WPL Interior Design

wpldesign.com

2,913,559

Heather Garrett Design, Inc.

heathergarrettdesign.com

3,130,979

Delia Designs: Residential Interior Design

delia-designs.com

3,451,323

KHB Interiors

khbinteriors.com

3,920,367

Church Interiors, Inc.

churchinteriors.com

3,949,924

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Flexibility

You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own.

Ability to start your business from home

It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning!

Rewarding work

Starting a interior decorating business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

Scalable

With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers.

Meaningful business connections

You never know who you will meet as a interior decorating business. This could be the start of an incredible business opportunity!

Quick build time

The average time it takes to build your product is quick - typically around 7 months. This will allow you to bring your product to market faster.

Cons Description

Crowded Space

Competition is high when it comes to your interior decorating business, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies.

Low margins

The gross margins for your interior decorating business are typically around 65%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability.

Work can be inconsistent

As a interior decorating business, the amount of work assigned to you and schedule tends to be more inconsistent, which may make your income less stable. It's important to set boundaries and budget accordingly based on the amount of work you plan to have.

Lack of benefits

With a interior decorating business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Taxes

As a interior decorating business, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.

No safety net

Typically, as a interior decorating business, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times.